A picture is worth 1,000 words …
Answering the question, “what’s going in next to PRN?” New office space for Froehling & Robertson.
The necessary next question is… What’s going to happen to their old building?
September 2017 Crozet Gazette
The September Crozet Gazette is here, and as usual, it’s chock full of good information.
A few highlights (pick up a copy, and read the whole thing)
- Sharing the Wealth: Why the County Pays the City Millions Each Year – all should read this.
- Computer Security Firm CounterFlow AI, Inc., Starts Up in Crozet
- Business Briefs: September 2017
- Hummingbird Hill, Wayland’s Crossing, Qaim, Blue Oregano
- Crozet Cistercians Dedicate Their Church
- School Notes – Cool grants at Brownsville & Crozet Elementary Schools!
- Crozet’s Mountainside Senior Living Adds Dementia Unit
Growing Crozet Thoughtfully & Sustainably
Yes, traffic sucks sometimes (school time, anyone?), and it’s going to get worse. What if … we grew Crozet, locally and more sustainably?
We’re definitely going to get more houses … houses that don’t pay for themselves, or the infrastructure (schools, roads, etc) that we use.
Think about this story in the context of the possible redevelopment of downtown Crozet.
“They’ll see they’re working against the tide very soon when millennials eventually head to the suburbs,” he says. “We see a lot of what we call ‘millennials in mourning.’ They’re married with their first child, and the last place they think about is the urban environment. A lot of people are soon going to be at the point where finding a good place for their kid to go to school is going to be a lot more important than the coolest restaurant to hang out. Unfortunately for some companies, they may be moving into the cities just before the tide goes the other way.”
Walk , ride, drive
Just past Bloomfield, going into Charlottesville at 8:30 am
Just before Boars Head, going into Charlottesville at 8:30 am
Sadly, we are in an environment that is remarkably conducive to walking or riding bikes to school, but 1.5 -2 miles is apparently an unconquerable distance for many.
What if … we had jobs to walk or ride to as well?
Think sustainably and longer-term
If we figure that the average driver in the US does 20,000 miles a year, I’m going to use about 400 gallons of gas. A car getting 20 mpg is going to use closer to a thousand gallons. Figure that there are about 100 million actively driven cars in the US, which means that the net difference if “everybody did it” has the potential to save 60 billion gallons (600 times 100 million) of gas. A year. (* Jim’s note – this is from 2007)
We have an opportunity as a community to encourage great businesses and jobs to locate here; The more we can grow our local, read: Crozet, economy, the better for all.
Interesting corresponding facebook conversation as well.
My brief opinion: Wishing that Crozet would stay small is not realistic, and continuing to grow as primarily a bedroom community for Charlottesville is not sustainable.
Related story – Charlottesville (City) Grow or Preserve it?:
As a result, average city home values doubled between 2000 and 2010 to $321,000. And Albemarle homes—which are in the growth area and spread across the large lots countywide—have median prices of $309,000. Those aren’t New York or San Francisco figures, but they are well above the state and national medians, and show what happens when a city and county conspire to cordon off most of its land.
What happens for those who want to live here, but can’t meet this financial barrier? Many of them move further out, said Ridge Schuyler, who runs a self-sufficiency program for low-income people at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Schuyler said his program generally has two types of people: the first are extremely low-wage workers who qualify for Charlottesville’s public housing. The second are slightly higher-paid service workers who don’t qualify for public housing, yet can’t take that next step of competing for Charlottesville’s market-rate units. They’re the ones settling for outlying counties.
“If you try to move up the income ladder,” Schuyler said of this second group, “once you get into that first rung job of making $28,000 to $32,000, you are almost forced to move away.”
This explains why neighboring counties like Fluvanna, Louisa, Orange and Greene have roughly doubled their populations since 1990. Charlottesville-area workers who live out in them must also foot the higher transportation costs of driving 30-plus miles twice daily.
Quick Crozet real estate context
- From 1 January to 12 September 2017, 243 homes (attached and single family) have sold in Brownsville + Crozet.
- Average price is $458K.
- 82 new homes (single family + attached) have sold in that timeframe.
- Average price is $603K (source of this, and above: CAARMLS)
- Crozet Real Estate Market – July 2017 Hotsheet (PDF)
Wyants Store *Not* Closing
Wyant’s Store is Closing.
From the comments (which contradicts what I was told when I called the store):
Wyants store is not closing. LArry and John wyant will no longer be running the business. The store was left to my oldest brother David wyant who will be running it until he finds a suitable tenant. If it closes that will only be for a short time till it can be stocked.
Original story
Sent in by Janie Perrone, the folks at the store say they are closing tonight, and gas is $1.99/gallon as they try to empty the tank.
I called the store and confirmed that they are closing, no later than Thursday.
Soil Remediation Ongoing at Acme Visible Records Site
Acme letter; read the whole thing.
tl;dr:
They are going to continue soil remediation at Acme. There will be heavy equipment, noise, long work hours, and maybe some steam.
We Are Western
Cool video about Western Albemarle High School, celebrating its 40th year!
Our opening school video. "We are Western, We are Family". Many thanks to senior Ryan Beard for putting together. https://t.co/OunjgM2s4w
— Darah Bonham (@darahbonham) August 23, 2017
Crozet Library Events – Remainder of 2017
Yet another example of why the Crozet Library is tremendous … so many events!
I suspect there will be more events added as the year progresses, but the fine folks at Crozet Library have just published on the Crozet Calendar a slew of cool events.
Check out the full list here. And download/print the Crozet Library Calendar for September 2017 .
A couple highlights at Crozet Library (there are so many more; dig into them all)
- Teen Advisory Board
We need your ideas! The Crozet Library Teen Advisory Board helps the library plan and lead teen programs, displays, and activities. Members enjoy snacks and receive volunteer hours. It’s your library—make a difference! Grades 6-12. First time visitors always welcome; TAB application required thereafter.
- A Night at the Movies
Join the Crozet Library for a night at the movies with theater-style popcorn and drinks. Refer to ratings for age restrictions. September 18: Salam Neighbor (2016) & Discussion October 30: Passengers (2016) November 27: Wonder Woman (2017) December 18: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) & Cookie Exchange* (starts at 6pm)
- R.A.D. (Read And Discuss) Teen Book Club
The Crozet Library leads a diverse range of book clubs for teens. Snacks are served at each meeting. Free copy of the book included on a first come, first served basis. Please check each listing for age requirements. Registration required September 26: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. An epistolary sci-fi thriller. Grades 6-12. Required registration begins September 1. November 28: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. A historical comedy. Grades 6-12. Required registration…
- NaNoWriMo Kickoff Party
Devote the month of November to working on that novel you’ve always wanted to write. Tackle the full NaNoWriMo 50,000-word goal or set your own. Experienced writers will be on hand at all events to answer questions. No writing experience necessary. For more information, visit bit.ly/jmrlwriting. Head to the Crozet Library for helpful techniques, motivation, and resources to get your writing challenge off to a great start. Find a corner and hunker down to focus, or challenge others to writing…
- Paws to Read
Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to Lucy, a therapy dog. Lucy is a registered therapy animal with The Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Along with owner/handler Ellen, the team volunteers as part of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA therapy dog program. Sign up for a 15-minute appointment and bring a favorite book to read. For any young reader. Registration is required. Contact the Crozet Library for more details.
- It’s Bin Fun: Sensory Play for Infants and Toddlers
Captivate your little scientist with open-ended, child-led play which engages the senses. The children will explore bins containing a variety of sensory materials. Things will get messy, so dress appropriately. Ages 6-35 months.
Registration is requested and begins September 22 and November 24 respectively. Drop-ins are always welcome.
Take the Crozet Community Survey – by 20 August 2017
Only a couple days left to take the Crozet Community Survey. Link to the survey can be found here.
After a delay in the mailing of a survey to gauge the Crozet community’s thoughts on growth and development, both the public and a scientific sample of households are being invited to submit their responses by Aug. 20.
Tolson said he hopes the Crozet survey results can be used to frame town hall meetings in the fall.
The 39-question survey covers a range of topics, from development near the U.S. 250-Interstate 64 interchange at exit 107 to whether the boundaries of the Crozet growth area should be expanded.
Tolson said two important areas covered in the survey are growth along the U.S. 250 corridor and in the downtown area of Crozet.
Density along U.S. 250 previously has proven to be a contentious issue. Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors denied a proposed rezoning near the Cory Farm neighborhood that would have allowed for a new development with 80 residential units. Some community members opposed the development, known as Adelaide, on the grounds that density should be limited on 250. A 35-unit development known as Sparrow Hill is now being planned for the property by-right.
As for the survey, Tolson said, “We’ve had a really good response so far. We’ve had about 780 [responses] … on the scientific sample, and about 500 or so on the public sample.”
They were aiming to get at least 600 responses for the scientific sample. Tolson said they want to collect more responses to lower the margin of error of the results.
Some background on previous master plan surveys. And a letter from a reader in March regarding wariness about the Crozet Master Plan.
A Sunday in Crozet
Bike ride past Beaver Creek followed by polo at King Family Vineyards (and then I showed a lot in Crozet)
Beaver Creek Reservoir
Roseland Polo at King Family Vineyards
Some days, things work out, thoughts about traffic, crowded schools and roads, and other worries temporarily fade away.
All told, Crozet is a great place to live.
Traffic in Crozet (letter from a reader)
via email:
I’ve lived in Crozet, down the street from Crozet Park most of my life. I understand my small town is going to grow. But I don’t get how we can continue on the path without fixing some problems?
Westlake is continuing to build and now more land across from the park is being developed. After being promised for the last eight years we’re getting another way out of our neighborhood I’m beginning to think it will never happen.
Between construction vehicles, school buses and your everyday commuter we are at our max. When a bad storm hits and we are stuck waiting for debris to be cleaned up before we can leave our home. Also all traffic is going out of Tabor Rd on to Park Ave, at this point we need a light at that intersection because no one wants to let each other out of Tabor Rd.
The lumber yard is going to be developed and with places such as Piedmont Place and others coming to Crozet Ave is continuing to see more congestion that it can’t handle. At what point will something finally be done? Are we going to wait like the county did with 29 North?
We should plan to fix problems like water use, schools and roads before it gets out of hand. Crozet is growing at a rate to fast for anyone to keep up. People in Brookwood, Westhall, and Westlake deserve another way out! The road from Parkside Village to 240 will not solve our problems either.
I’m hoping you will take my email serious, cause this effects many families.
*edited to add line breaks
The corresponding Facebook post (with lots of traffic & comments).